by Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports

by Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has suspended Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather for the first two games of the regular season following an illegal hit on Baltimore Ravens receiver Torrey Smith in Saturday's exhibition game â?? Meriweather's sixth violation of player safety rules.

Meriweather, 30, can appeal the suspension, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 1 and end two weeks later, after the Redskins' second game. He also was suspended two games last season for two illegal hits, but that ban was reduced to one game on appeal.

Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, said in a release that Meriweather "delivered a forceful blow to the head and neck area of a defenseless receiver (Smith) with no attempt to wrap up or make a conventional tackle of this player."

Meriweather has been disciplined five times previously for violating unnecessary roughness rules relating to hits to defenseless players and impermissible use of the helmet, the league said.

Any appeal would be heard by jointly appointed appeals officers Derrick Brooks or Ted Cottrell.